Random Photos in the City

 This is the roundabout at Areeiro, just a few minutes' walk from where I was staying. It's a convenient location, thanks to the metro station here.

 Portugal is known for its "azulejos" (blue painted tiles), but these are more colorful, and rather unusual.

 Who needs poles for street signs, when you can just announce them on the corner building?

 This building looks similar to the house Rudolph Valentino lived in, in the olden days of Hollywood.

 The Portuguese have a creatively playful approach to the way they present their pavements.

Statues designed with those beautiful blue skies in mind...

Pizza at the Bullring

The next night, one of my friends brought me to a very impressive building; the Campo Pequeno bullring in Campo Pequeno Square. (photo by Felix König) After its renovation, it re-opened as a multi-event venue in 2006, designed to be used for various events apart from bull fighting. It hosts a range of live acts and has seen many famous bands perform there.
First,  we went into the underground shopping area to have a look around, especially in the bookstore.  Then, we came back up, and I found that there are several restaurants in this bullring. We went around to the back, and there was a pizzeria there. There, I had what must be the most wonderfully delicious pizza ever baked on this planet.  Even now, I'm getting goosebumps, just remembering! It became one of the top 3 dining experiences in my life!
We ate here, under the roofed area, right next to the park. Best pizza on Earth!

And here below, is a shot of the top of Campo Pequeno by Ricardo Liberato.

Another Portuguese Goody

Here's a photo of actress Vivian Vance (left) with the cast from Lucille Ball's television show.

And here she is again as a fishwife in Portugal, once upon a time.

Super Interesting Homes in Lisbon

When I left "Mesa do Barrio" with my friends, the sun was just about to begin setting. We walked through the area surrounding the restaurant, and I was amazed at the houses in that area. I didn't have my iPad with me to take pictures, so I went back the next day, during the afternoon.

 One thing I especially noticed was the different colors of the homes. Such hues as strawberry pink, peppermint blue, and cafe latte beige were some of them.

In any case, I have never seen such houses in my life, but I really enjoyed taking a good look at these! I wonder what they look like inside....

My Trip to Portugal in Detail

During my trip, I tried to upload photos to this blog just using my iPad, but of course, it wouldn't work! (Drat the luck!)  But I'm home again now with access to my computer, so I'll put photos in where I originally intended to.

My first evening in Lisbon, two dear friends took me to a dreamy restaurant, "Mesa do Bairro" (The Neighborhood Table). There were 2 doors, the left for wine connoisseurs (?) and the right for restaurant diners. The wine was super delicious, the meat was amazing and the bread, olive oil, garlic, etc. transported me to a Portuguese heaven in my mind! Since I didn't bring my iPad to the restaurant to take pictures, I'm instead relying on photos I found on the web. In the picture below, that strange-looking red thing on the table is the napkin. Even THAT was folded in a surprising way!

Unlike Japan, there were no children present to whine (wine?!) and cry and turn a spectacular dinner into a screamy night to remember, and that pure adult atmosphere was a real luxury.  In spite of the very classy and ritzy mood of the place, the price was way lower than I had imagined. I left the restaurant walking on air, thanks to the smooth wine, the fabulous food, and my wonderful friends, who went out of their way to make sure it was a special experience that I would always remember. More pictures and details about the trip on upcoming posts to Animan's World!

Exotic Lisbon!

I am really enjoying my stay. People are so nice, helpful and friendly. 

And of course, there are lots of beautiful men all over the place, of all colors. And they all look pretty yummy from an Animan perspective!

The other night, my two friends took me to a classy restaurant for dinner. The food was super, and I've never had anything like it before. 

As we walked home from the restaurant, we passed through a neighborhood of very interesting-looking houses. 

I took some pictures with my iPad, but for some stupid reason, I am not able to upload those pictures to this blog, using just my iPad. Isn't that ridiculous?

When I get back to my computer at home, I will upload all the pictures.